Pope Leo XIV on Sunday delivered a strong message against war, emphasizing that God “does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war,” as violence continues to rage across multiple fronts in the Middle East.
“This is our God… A God who refuses war… who does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war,” the pontiff said during his Palm Sunday homily.
Following the Angelus prayer, he paid tribute to “the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days.”
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Earlier this week, Pope Leo XIV called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, noting that over a million people had been forced to flee their homes. He urged all parties involved in the conflict to engage in dialogue.
The 70-year-old pontiff, the first American to hold the papacy, has consistently condemned the war and advocated for talks to resolve the crisis. However, since the outbreak of hostilities following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, he has been careful in his remarks, avoiding the identification of any specific side while appealing for peace.